Starbucks $SBUX has agreed to begin talks with the union representing its workers to create a framework to establish collective bargaining agreements and end ongoing litigation.
Starbucks Workers United represents thousands of employees across hundreds of U.S. stores
Starbucks $SBUX has agreed to begin talks with the union representing its workers to create a framework to establish collective bargaining agreements and end ongoing litigation.
Starbucks Workers United, which represents thousands of employees across hundreds of the coffee giant’s U.S. stores, said the talks emerged during mediation discussions last week over ongoing legal action.
In October, Starbucks sued Workers United in federal court in Iowa, demanding that the union stop using the name “Starbucks Workers United.” The company alleged that a pro-Palestine social media post from the union in the days following the onset of the Israel-Hamas war damaged its reputation. The parties are also embroiled in litigation related to Starbucks giving benefits to non-unionized shops in May 2022, while withholding them from organized employees.
“There is a lot of work ahead, but this is an important, positive step,” said Sara Kelly, Starbucks’s chief partner officer, in a statement posted online. “It is a clear demonstration of our intent to build a constructive relationship with Workers United in the interests of our partners.”
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